Sheet-handling machine.



LR. C. sib/Mmm. SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.30, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

IN l/E N 70H Patented maw, 1915.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

glillllj INVE/WOH R. C. SEYMOUR. SHEET HANDLING MACHINE.

' A APPLICATION FILED AUG.30. 1909. 1,165,91 1

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

XlllllnllllI-Illll IIIIl-IIIII llll WTNESSES.'

` corresponding to the arrangement of plates narran sra'rns Paranaermen- RALPH. SEYMOUR, OF LARCHBIIONT, NEW.' YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GOSSPRINTING PRESS COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

snaar-HABLING MACHINE.

ricami.-

Speecation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, i915.

To all iin/om it m oy concern Be it known that I, RALPH C. SEYMOUR, acitizen of the United States, residing at liarchmont, in the county ofWestchester and State of New York, haye inventednew and usefulImprovements in Sheet-Handling Machines, of which the following isaspecification. l

T he invention relates to sheet handling machinery, and moreparticularly to ma chines for severing a sheet and feeding oif the tivoparts either separately or' associated.

Objects of the invention are to provide a mai'fhinc for, handling sheetsin a manner on the press; to provide for feeding oif the severedportions of the sheet' Seniat/m when the sheets areimprinted withduplicate inatter on each of the severed parts thereof; and to providefor associating the severed parts of the sheets and feeding them oiito-r v gether when the matter is not so duplicated;

to provide. for reliable and automatic handiing of the sheet in eitherAof the ways indicated.

These and other objects of invention will in part be obvious and will inpart more fully appear hereinafter.

'lhe invention consists in the novel parts, arrangements, constructions,combinations and improvements heiein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a parthereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and serve withthedescription to elucidate tie principles of the inventioni 0f thedrawings: Iiigure 1 is a longitudi nal section take just within themachine frame, of a mechanism 'constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the invention: Fig 0. ii; afraginentary, diagrammatic, iica' ci' parts sho'wn'in Fig. 1 just after the severing of the sheet bythe cutters; Fig. 3 isa view similar to Fig. 2 showing the rear portionof the sheet being fed up and ass@- ciated 'with the forward portion;Fig. 4 shows the two portionsof the s heet being fed oi' together afterbeing' associated; Fig.

5 is a similar View showing the front portion of the sheet. being fedofi. and the rear portion being fed up to the front gage, pi'e-.paratory to being fed on' alone later; and Fig 6 is a View of a leaf orvane cani,I such.

as may be used toy vary the timing of the machine parts; Fig. 7 is aView looking at from a stack, although the sheets might be fed in someotherinanner, as by being fed directly from the press either as sheetsor as a severed web. A

@ne of the uses for which the'present machine is intended is to feed aninsert into a book or magazine,. and to feed in inserts of differentsizes with"` equal facility.'l By way of example, Where the invention isapplied to, or associated with, machines for making a book or magazinein which the sheets are four page sheets and receive one fold along theback of the book which is also stitched, either a four or an eight pageinsert may be run in the machine. be understood, of course, that theforegoing relates to vthe machine longitudinally, as

obviously the book mightbe duplicated 'a' number of times transverselyand slitters n Wai or magazine@ Vhen the eight-page insert is i i run,the necessity arises of associating the second four With the iii-stfour, the asso- 'elated sheets then being fed off to each book ormagazine in succession.

. Itwill be understood that the foregoing i is illustrative of a use ofthe present invpw i ltion and is not restrictive either as to the 1 stopfor arresting, positioning and controlframe ling the front portion ofthe sheet is sli-own herein as a front gage 2, pivotally suppdrted at 3,and having connected therewith an arm ll. The form of actuating meansfor said gage shown hereincomprises ailink 5 pivoted to said arm l andto a suitable bent lever 6. There is shown pivoted to the lever 6 a rod7 straddling by means of a suitable yoke, a shaftS, said rod 7 being inoperative relation with a cam 9 'by suitable means, such as the roll 10.Means are likewise shown for arresting and controlling the rearmostportion. of the sheet, the illustrated `form thereof comprising a tailvstop or clamping finger 13 mounted on shaft 14, said shaft havingconnected therewith an arm 15. Pivoted to said arm 15 is shown a rod 16,straddling by a suitable yoke 17 the shaft 8. The cam 18 is shown actingon theV rod 16 through the cam roll 19. y Sheet severing means areprovided, and

the illustrated form thereof compri-ses op-' posed knives' 2l and 25.The knife 2st is ,hewn carried in xed bearings26` on the machine frame.The knife 25 is shown reciprocating to and from the yknife 24, and forthispurpose is shown mounted in a i 27 working in suitable guides in themachine frame. Means for actuating said knife are providechand the formthereof shown herein comprises a cam 28 on the shaft 29, the frame 27having aroll 30 in cooperative relation with .said cam. Means are alsoprovided 'in the present embodiment for causing the contiguous ends ofthe two severed portions of thesheettof pass rout of alignement witheach other, in order that one portion may be fed forward intosuperimposition with respect to the other portion, so that the thusassocia-ted sheets may be fed oli together. In the present embodimentthe slfieetsA are also fed along a substantially straight path. In thepresent embodiment, furthermore,' the contiguous ends of the sheetpassout` of alinement by the tail of the forward portion ofthe sheet.

being permitted to drop below the levelof the path of the sheets. Thesheetsv are supu ported at said bars their forward `end upon bars 35,ybeing shown deflected lor slanted sheets above. The tapes 37 are shownsup l ported on suitable rollers 39 and 4 0. The

tapes 38are shown passing over rollers 11 .at the endnearer the sheetfeeder, or other i source of supply, and around rolls 42 at the endtoward the cutters 2li and 25. The rollers 42 are drop rollers and areshown mountf ed upon arms il. The arms 44: are shown connected to shaftletto give the desired motion to the rollers A drop roller 43 is alsoshown for feeding the sheets in between the tapes 37 and 38. Suitablemeansffor raising and dropping the rollers 43, and for doing it inproper relation to the operation of the other parts are provided. Nomechanism for doing this is shown, however, as it may be eii'ected inany Well known man ner, as by means of a suitable cam and lever workingover rollers 51, 52 and 53. A suit able series of drop rollers 54mounted upon arms 55 may also be provided as part of the feeding olfmeans. The-arm`s 55 are shown herein fixed to move with the bent levers6, forv convenience, for the purpose of moving them into and out offeeding position, the

rollers 54: in this case actually moving against the sheet from beneath.Coperating withthe tapes 50 are show'n a series of` tapes 56 Workingover rollsj57, 58k and 59.

The insert is associated with 1ts book in a suitable manner, and in thepresent embodiment the group of shfeets is fed to, or col- 65,;

lected upon a three-way cylinder although other associating means mightbe emploved as fogrtd. convenient br desirable, I

so far as concerns many features of the in'- vention. The sheet bundle2which may also have had the cover previouslyv associated with it,-andthe insert .may then be run olf together by the tapes G6 toward thestitchers, slitters, or folders, orl any other mecha? nism for operatingon or receiving the same. 1 Strippers (39 may bentihzed, 1f

desired, to

insure the sheets being taken `from the cylvinder G5 and fed into Vthetapes't and '67. Suitable means may also be provided for bringing thesheet bundle and insert' into exact register, and herein there is shownfor this purpose a stop gate 6,8, which may be ting, stitching,

rconvenie'ntly located with respect to a slitor other mechanism, as flows: lfVe may lconsider' first the case where the two portions of thesheet are superimposed before being fed off. The sheet is fed up fromthe source of supply, by the rollers and tapes, as already described,until it isbrought to rest against the front gage 2. The tail stops 13move into engagement `With and clamp the rear ond of the sheet firmly inposition. The knives 2i and 25 then act to sever the positioned andheld.

sheetinto two parts, as shown in Fig.

The'tail end of the forward portion of/thel .sheet will then drop ont ofalinement-with the generall plane of the sheet, as already explained.,and as shown at :1: in Fig. Q. The tail stops i3 are now raised, vandthe drop rollers #l2 serve to feed the rear portion of thesheet'forward,I as shown in Fig. 3, so

that said rear-portion is superimposed upon and associated with theforward portion of the sheet. rlhe front gage 9. is 'then aised, and theroller 5i moved into engaging position and the associated sheets fedofi' together, as shown in Fig. e, to become associated with the sheetsfrom the cylinder 65.

hen the two portions of the sheet are to be fed off separatel", forinstance, when they are duplicates of each other, Ithe sheet is advancedas before and brought to rest by the front'gage and is severed into twoportions before by the cutters 24 and 25, the parts being in thisinstance also as shown in Fig'. 2 of the drawings. ri`he machinepartsare now timed so that the tail stops 13 remain in enga-gement'withthe rear portion of the sheet, While thefront gage 2 is raised, and therollers 54; correspondingly moved', thus permitting the front portion ofthe sheet to he fed ofi' in order to be associ-` ated with the sheetsfrom the cylinder (35. The front gage 2 now descendsagain, the tail stop13 is raised, the drop rollers 42 are dropped, and the rear portion ofthe sheet is fed forward to the front gages 2. These are then. ralsed topermitthe` feeding oif of the rear portion in turn s0 that it may beassociated with the sheets from the cylinder (35.

The requisite timing of the parts, or changes in such timing, may hesecured. in any desired manner, as by shifting the cams 55 and i9 ontheir shaft, or in any other suitable way. This may h e done byproviding saidfcanis with leaves or y'anes 73, which may be held inadjusted position by a nut 74, 'in a well known manner. f

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the particularforms of construction herein shown, nor to any particular formsof'construction, but changes may be wrouglit therein. `without departingfrom the principles of the .invent-ion and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages. l

,lVhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters la,tenti l. A sheet handling machine including in combination` a front gage,means vfor feeding a sheetto register with said gage, means for severingthe sheet while registered to the gage into a plurality of parts, meansfor superiinposing a plurality of said parts in registry at the frontgage before they. are fed ofi means for feeding oil' said superimposedparts unfolded.

2. A.. sheet handling machine including in combination means for feedinga sheet., means for arresting the sheet, means for severing the arrestedsheet into a plurality of parts, means for inoif'ing one of said partsinto superimposition upon another of said parts while said latter partis still so an rested, and inea-ns for y'feeding ofi said superimposedparts together unfolded'.

23. i sheet' handling machine includingl in combination means for'feeding a sheet, means for engaging a sheet at its front edge to bringit to rest, means for severing the sheet into two parts, means yforfeeding forward `the rear portion of the sheet while 'the front portion1s still at rest against the ga ge,

means for causing the contiguous ends of' the two portions to pass outof alineinent so that as the rear portion is-fed forward one of saidtyvo .portions will yhe superimposed upon the other and means forfeeding olf lsaid superimposed parts unfolded.

4C. A sheet handling machine including in combination .f means forfeeding a sheet, means for arresting` the sheet, means for severing thesheet transversely to the direction of feed into a plurality ofportions,

-means for defiecting the rear edge of the forwardportion, means forfeeding forward a rear portion into superimposition with said forwardportion while ,it is still. at rest and means for feeding off saidsuperinu'iosed parts unfolded.,

5L A sheet handling machine including in combination means for feeding asheet,

means for severing the sheetinto a plurality of parts, and -means forvarying the speed of the severed partsof said -sheet so as to causethem' to feed off. unfolded one afteranother or to feed oli unfoldedtogether in super-imposition.

6.' A sheet handling machine including in. combination means for feedinga sheet along a substantially stra-ightpath, means foi' arresting thesheet in said path, vmeans for severing said sheet While soarrested intoa plurality of parte, means forl causing the adjacent edges of twoatjacent portions of `the sheet to passV ont of alinement with eachsevering said sheet between said tiro-arrest" ing inea-ns, means forcausing one arresting means to cease to act upon the sheet while theother i'einains acting, and means for moving the portion of the sheetreleased by.

its arresting means.

8; A sheet handling' machine including in combination means t'or-feeding a sheet, means for engaging the sheet near one end to arrestit, means for engaging the Vsheet near the other end -to arrest it,means for severing saidcsheet between said tw'o arresting means, meansfor causing theforemost f arresting means to release its portion of thesheet and to arrest the next succeeding por. tion, means torfeeding offsaid first-inentioned portion, means for causing the rearmostarresting-means to release its portion, and means for feeding saidrearmost portion to said foremost arresting means to be arrestedthereby.

' 9. Asheethandling machine including in combination means for feeding asheet, means for engaging the sheet near one end to arrest it, means forVengaging 'the sheet nearthe other end to arrest it', means for severingsaid sheet between said two arrest'- l ist a transverse sheet` ingmeans, lmeans for causing the rearmost arresting means to release itsportion, means for feeding said rearmost portion forward to associate itwith the foremost portion, and'ineans for feeding olf the associatedportions together. n

10. A sheet'handling machine including in combination means for feedinga sheet,

means for engaging the 'sheet nearone endl to arrestfit, means lforengaging thev sheet near theother end to arrestl 1t, means for severingsaid sheet between said two arresting` means, means for causing therearmost' arrestin means to release its portion, means for f ing saidreaimost portion forward to associate it with the foremost portion, and

means for feeding'o' the associated portions together., A., l I l 11. Asheet. handling machine including in combinationaffront gage, a tailstop and cutter therebetween .for

I cutting thefshoettransversely and parallel to the edgeregifstnd bysaid front gage while it is" i'restedrby-.gthe front gage and tail'stop. Y, l

N 12. A sheet handling machine including in combination a front gage, atail stop, a

sheet cutter located intermediately said gage and tail stop, and a'dropvroller located between said tailsto and sheetI cutter.

13. A lsheet handlinglmachine including in combination a so'urce ofsheet supply, a drop roller for 'conveying a sheet therefrom, a frontgage, a sheet Icutter and a tail stop located within a sheet length ofeach other, and to one side of said drop roller, and a drop roller`located betweeirsaid tail stop and said sheet cutter. I

14. sheet handling machine including in combination a front gage, asheet cutter for cutting a sheet transversely when registered to saidgage, a-support for the sheet between said gage and` said cutter whichpermits the part near the severed end of the sheet to '.tli'op, andme'ans'V for feeding up .the other portion of the sheet from beyond thecutter into superimposition with the portion between the gage and cutterand into registry with said gage, and means for feeding olf saidsuperimposed parts unfolded and registered.

15. A sheet handling machine including in combinationY a front gage, aytail stop, a sheet cutter located. interinediately said gage and stop,said devices being arranged to 'all operate upon the sheet at one time,

means for raising the front gage, means for' raising the tail stop, saidtwo means being arranged'so that either iiiay release its portion of thesheet while the other is still in engagement with its portion.

16. A sheet handling machine including in combination ay front gage, atail stop, a a sheet cutter located intermcdiately said gage'and stop,said devices being arranged to all operate upon a. sheet at onetime,

means .for raising the` ta-il stopwhilo the]v `105 front gage yis stillengaging the sheet, and means for. thenraising the front gage 17. Asheet handling machine including in combination a `rontgage, a tailstop, a sheet cutter located intermediately said gage and stop, saiddevices being arranged to all operate upon a sheet atone time, means.for

raisingy the front gage whi e the tail stop` is still engaging thc sheetan meansff'or then raising the tail stop.

i 18. A sheet handling machine includingl incombination a front gage, asheet cutter, a support for'the sheet between said gage andV lili cutterwhich permits the severedend of the* rsheet to drop, a tail stop andsheet progress-v ing means' foi-engaging the sheet on the.

.opposite side of the vcutter from said front Vgage andsaid support.

19. A sheet handlinerv machineincluding in combination means orassociatig a plu- -rallty of sheets,`means for feeding the asso ciate'dsheets to\a registering device; means for cutting a sheet and suerimposing parts together, and means or feeding-"sugli and superimposingthe cut parts, and means ideeen superimposed parts to said registeringdevice wherebysaid associated sheets and said superimposed parts of thesevered sheet are registered with respect to each other by saidregistering device.

for feeding said cut and superimposed parts tolsaid registering stop,whereby said assooiatedsheets and said' superimposed parts of theseveredv sheet are registered with respect to Ye'aaih -otherby saidregistering stop. A

.21. A sheet-handling machine including in combination a mechanism forassociating sheets, means for progressing the associated sheets from'said associating mechanism to a registering stop, means for cutting asheet and superimposing theA out parts, and means for feeding saidcutandsuperimposed p arts to said registerin fstop, vwhereby said lassociatedsheet'sfan said superimposed parts of the severed siieetare registeredwith reect to each otherb said registering stop.

,22; A' sheetiliandling machine including Iin combination. means forfeeding a sheet,

means for arresting the sheet, means for severing the arrested sheettransversely to the direction. of feed into a plurality of portions,means for deflecting thev rear edge of the forward portion while soarrested relatively to the remainder of said portion, means for feedinforward a rearl portion into su efin'iposition with said forward portionw ilev it is still at rest and means for feeding ed said superimposedparts unfolded.

A sheet handling" machine including in combination a front gage,meansfor feeding a sheet to said gage, means for severing the sheetwhile 'stopped andA registered by said gage into a pluralityl of parts,means for superimposing a plurality of said parts at the front gage'before they are fed off.,

an'dlmeans for feeding oil1 said lsuperimposed parts in the plane ofsaid sheets.

24. A. sheet handling machine including in combination a front gage,means for feeding a sheet to said gage, means for severing the sheetinto a plurality of par-ts, means for suparimposing a plurality of saidparts at the front gage before they'are fed off, and :means for feedingoff the superimposed 4parts in the same direction as they were fed.

25. A sheet handling machine including in combination means for feedinga sheet,v

means for engaging a sheet at its front edge Ato bring it to rest, meansfor severing the sheet into two parts while so at rest, means passinginto engagement #with thel severed rear portion of the sheet to progressit into superimposition with 'the front portion while said front portionis still at rest against the gage, and means for causing the contiguousends of the two portions to pass out of alinement so that as the rearportion 'is fed forward one of said two portions will he superimposedupon the other. y

26. A sheet handling machine including in combination means for feedingsheet, means for engaging the sheet at its front end to arrest thesheet, means for severing the J `horizontal pathway, whereby they becomassociated together, and a stop vin said pathway for registering saidsheets relatively to each other. y

28. A sheet handling machine including in combination a front gage,means for feeding a sheet along a horizontal pathway to said gage, meansfor severing the arrested and registered sheet into a .plurality ofparts, feeding olf means, means for superimposing. a plurality of said.parts at the front gage before they are fed off.

29. A sheet handling. machine including in combination means for feedinga sheet along a horizontal pathway, means for arresting the sheet insaid horizontal pathway, means for severing the-arrested sheet into aplurality of parts and means for moving one of said parts intosuperimposition upon other of said partswhile said latter part is stillso arrested. f,

- 30. A sheet handling machine including v in combination means forfeeding sheet along a horizontal pathway, means for engaging a sheet atits front edge to bring it to rest in said horizontal pathway, means forsevering the arrested sheet into two parts, means forfeeding forward therear portion of the sheet while the front portion is still at restagainst the gage, and means for causing the contiguousends Vof the twoportions to pass out of alinement so that as the rear portieri is fedforward one of said two portions will be superimposed upon the other.

- 31. A sheet handling machine including in combination means forfeeding a sheet along a hrizontal pathway, means for severing the sheetinto a plurality of parts, and means forvarying the speed of the-severedparts of said sheet along ahorizontal pathway, so as to cause them tofeed olf one after ice i another or to feed off together nsuperimposition.

32. A sheet handling' machine including in combination means for'associating a p1u- .inlity of sheets,v means for cutting another sheetin two und stipermposng the ut parts, means foxdireeti'ng saidassociated eheets and'said eupermposed, sheets into a pathway wherebythey become associated together7 and e stop in said pathwayY for reg- 1estering Said sheetstrelatively to each. other. In testimony whereof,have signed. my name to this specification, in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

' l RALPH C. SEYMOUR. VVtn'esses:

S. J. GENSLER,l MFRIEDMAN.,

